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I twisted around It tookfroone dark

Out in the hallway, so the cell’s cement floor shudder The crash was followed by a protracted scream, a sound twisted with unfathomable fear and pain

I jumped up and went to the door There was no knob on the inside We were trapped More crashes, s shook the cell Maybe whatever stalked the hallasn’t looking for us Maybe it would pass us by

I held my breath and waited

A blow fro us by

Behind led sound "It’s them," she whispered "They’ve found aze landed onlike sorrow "I’m sorry, Vicky," she whispered

Her words chilled ize--ever Not even as a figure of speech

Another blow bulged the door inward

I reached into my purse for a knife--and pulled out my weapons-check receipt Stupid visitors’ policy I picked up the chair I’d been sitting in and lifted it over ainst the cinder-block wall beside the door When whatever was on the other side rushed into the roo ure sped through the doorway I slammed the chair down on hiht behind him came a second one, this one in a brown robe He flew--literally flew--over the first, straight at Juliet

Juliet sat perfectly still, her hands folded in her lap, her face expressionless except for the terror that screa with her? Why wasn’t she fighting?

She didn’t move, didn’t even flinch, as the brown-robed creature lifted her from the bed

I picked up the chair and rushed hi his ar me sideways There was ice and power in the blow, and th I flew across the rooh my vision Pain and the warue when I hit the wall I wipedblood across rees colder than it had before the Old Ones entered

I shook the stars away Brown Robe held Juliet like an undead groom about to whisk his bride over the threshold But her shackle held her back, the silver chain stretched taut The creature grabbed the chain and pulled, trying to yank it from the wall He shrieked as a cloud of black-and-yellow smoke billowed from his hand The creature dropped both Juliet and the chain He spun around, clutching his hand to his chest, his bulging eyes searching the roootten how hideous the Old Ones were Yellow skin stretched taut across the skull His eyes protruded froaped where his nose should be But it was the fangs that ly They stretched fro in razor-sharp points Saber-toothed vaht without my weapons

Brown Robe didn’t share ht hand, he drew a short sith his left I tensed, preparing But the Old One didn’t attack Instead, he picked up Juliet, threw her onto the cot, and began hacking at her leg with the sword, just above the shackle

Juliet screaht He tried to swat rabbed his sword, and we grappled for it

The Old One’s grip was strong His icy fingers er in his eye socket Brown Robe recoiled, and I twisted ot the sword away

Ih So ain on the side of the cot More stars They filled the roooddamn Milky Way